Entrophy
by toastmania
Summary: A measure of unusable energy within a closed or isolated system.  Because sometimes when you are at loose ends, the most unexpected things can happen.
1. Ch 1 Fuck It

**You're out of luck - can't get a piece of me. It's all blown up. Don't even fuck with me. **- **Seether**

Holly J sighed as she closed her locker. School was over for the day and she had absolutely no plans. Fiona had therapy and Anya was doing swim training for her lifeguard thing. She didn't even have work or dialysis. _Yeah, things are pretty bad if I would even welcome dialysis as a distraction_, she thought rolling her eyes.

She had less than six months before could leave for Yale. Six months before she could shake things up and really start to make things happen, instead of being in this incredibly boring holding pattern. She felt like she was stuck on a treadmill, constantly circling a loop of school, work, homework and friends – all the same, nothing romantic or exciting or different. Ever.

Holly J had been feeling this discontent ever since she had been discharged from the hospital. She felt like she had had an epiphany while she was there. Life was so short, she should be living, not just existing until August. That had bee the real reason that she had broken up with Sav. That relationship had been going nowhere, and she simply couldn't lie about it anymore. It was like having a really great friend that you kissed sometimes. Holly J needed more; she just didn't know how to go about getting it.

So here she was. In exactly the same place, going nowhere. Her time at Degrassi was almost over. She should be having a blast, living each day to the fullest, making memories that would last the rest of her life. Doing…something.

Her introspective thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she felt someone bump into her from behind. She whipped around to glare at the unlucky klutz and saw it was that gothy guy Eli. He didn't even stop to apologize, just kept going.

"Hey!" Holly J shouted after him. He kept right on walking, oblivious to her presence. She narrowed her eyes. No one ignored Holly J, no one.

Holly J threw her bag over her shoulder and took off after him. "Hey! Hey, you!" She followed him toward the auditorium and watched as he flung the door open and stomped inside. She huffed out a breath and caught the door before it closed and flung it open herself before racing down the aisle after him and up onto the stage.

Eli threw his bag down so hard it slid half way across the stage floor before it stopped. Holly J dropped her own bag down and grabbed his arm from behind. He spun around, snarling out "What the hell!" If she hadn't been so angry herself, the glare on his face might have taken her aback, but by now she was too furious to care.

"Um, hello!" Holly J summoned up her snottiest voice. "Were you raised in a barn? Where I come from, people apologize when they practically run you down for no reason." She glared right back at him.

Eli ripped his arm from her grip, his dark green eyes never leaving hers for a second. "Oh, excuse me princess. And where exactly would you be from? Planet Snotty Stuck Up Bitch?" His voice was smooth and dark and dangerous.

Holly J felt herself flush, partially because of the insult and partially from the dark, edgy sound of his voice. But she quickly pulled herself together again; she was not one to back down from a challenge. She stepped even closer and glared up at him again. "Yeah, that's exactly where I'm from. It's the planet that's right next to your home world. You know, Giant Weirdo Looser."

"Well, I'd rather be a weirdo looser than have a stick shoved so far up my ass that I need to have it surgically removed," Eli was leaned down so that he was right in her face.

As pissed as she was, Holly J was almost enjoying herself. Most people would have backed down by now; it wasn't often that she got to engage in battle with someone who gave just as good as they got. "You better watch yourself before I call INS and have you deported back to Transylvania, Dracula." She reached out to poke him in the chest just as his hand came up and grabbed her wrist. She wasn't sure exactly how it happened, because she didn't remember moving and was sure that he hadn't moved either, but their lips suddenly came crashing down on each other.

It was amazing, like grabbing a live wire. Holly J could have sworn that she felt a jolt of electricity start at her toes and shoot through the top of her head. She gasped against his lips in shock and excitement and felt his tongue slide past her lips caressing the inside of her mouth. He dropped her wrist and snaked his arms behind her back crushing her body to his. She ran her hands up his chest and neck to tangle in his hair and pull him even closer to her.

She felt the muscles in his chest and stomach quivering, and just knowing that she was having that effect on him had heat pooling between her legs. She could feel his hands moving down her back and gripping her hips. When he pulled her hard against him and she could feel the very pronounced effect she was having on him, she reflexively rolled her hips against his suggestively and felt him moan against her lips.

She felt like she couldn't get close enough to him, she wanted to crawl inside of him. Her whole body tingled and it felt like her skin was on fire everywhere he touched her. He was driving her crazy, she wanted to feel his hands running over her bare skin. She wanted him to throw her down and strip her clothes off and his and take her, right on the auditorium floor. God, she never wanted him to stop touching her.

They might have stayed like that for minutes or hours, Holly J had no idea. When they finally broke apart, they just stood there staring into each others eyes trying to make sense of what had just happened. She was still pressed up against Eli's incredibly hard body, both of them breathless and disheveled. Before she could even form a coherent thought, Eli dropped his arms from her as if he had been burned. He turned from her without a word, grabbed his bag and ran up the aisle and out of the auditorium leaving her to stare stupidly after him.

Her knees started to shake; she was fairly certain that he had effectively managed to turn them, along with the rest of her body into jelly. She eased herself down to the floor before her legs gave out completely and tried to catch her breath. She could easily say that kissing Eli had been one of the most intense and erotic moments of her life, even more than the times that she had made love to Declan. That one kind of stung to admit. Holly J pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks and let out a shaky breath.

_Well, wasn't I just wishing for excitement and romance_, she asked herself. _Looks like it just found me_. Eli wouldn't have been her first choice for either, but there it was. She was not going to just let that boy walk away. Elijah Goldsworthy was about to go under siege.


	2. Ch 2 Brass in Pocket

'**Cause I'm gonna make you see there's nobody else here, no one like me. I'm special, so special. I've got to have some of your attention. – The Pretenders**

Eli headed home with his head down and his hands shoved deep in his pocket. He was trying _very_ hard not to think. Sadly, the thoughts were coming anyway, too fast and insistent to be ignored. He had just had a crazy, hot, sexy make out session with Holly J. Holly freakin' J! What the hell was wrong with him? For that matter, what the hell was wrong with her?

He shook his head and moodily kicked a rock out of his way. He'd been heading to the auditorium to get away for a minute, to just clear his head. He'd tried to talk to Clare again, and she'd blown him off again. In a nice way, but still. To make matters worse, she'd looked scared. Scared. Of him. As if he'd ever hurt her. Usually, the only person he ended up hurting was himself.

So he had to get out of there before he started screaming, or worse, crying like a girl. And yeah, he knew he'd run into Holly J on the way there, but she was standing right in the middle of the hallway. Who does that? So what if he hadn't stopped? He kind of had more important things on his mind. And then she _followed _him and started yelling. So he had yelled back. The girl was a nut job. Except he kind of enjoyed it. Clare might have been afraid of him, but Holly J certainly wasn't. It was kind of nice to not have someone look at him like they thought he was going to go all Columbine on them.

Then, all of a sudden, they were kissing. How the hell was anyone supposed to see that one coming? And it was serious kissing. Throw down on the floor and screw your brains out kissing. Then when it was over, she was standing there staring at him all beautiful and fragile and hot with this look in her eyes that made him afraid of what would happen next. So he ran. Huh. That was embarrassing.

That girl was dangerous. Touching her bad been like getting electrocuted, his body was still vibrating from it. He'd never felt anything like it. Well, he was just going to have to stay away from her. Yeah, definitely the best course of action. For all he knew, she was already plotting to take out a restraining order on him. Girls like Holly J never wanted to have anything to do with guys like him anyway. So he'd just forget it ever happened. If only he could get his brain to cooperate….

* * *

><p>Holly J had passed a very sleepless night. It seemed like every time she closed her eyes she got an instant relay of the day's events. Then when she factored in all of the time she'd spent trying to develop a plan to get Eli alone, then discarding those plans as worthless, she felt like she was running on empty.<p>

In the end she decided that simple was the way to go. She was going to have to get him after school. As much as she wanted him, she wasn't about to get busted for cutting class. Also, if she was going to get embarrassingly rejected, she preferred it not be in front of the Degrassi student body. She would just have to make sure he stayed after. A stuck locker was the most natural way to ensure that he didn't leave right after the final bell. Plus, he couldn't bolt again if he didn't have his stuff. She would simply get a bathroom pass during last period, detour by his locker and superglue the combo lock. Then she could show up and take care of business. Easy as pie.

It had seemed like the perfect plan last night, but now standing in front of her own locker, she was starting to doubt herself. What if the lock trick didn't work? True, she had tested it out five times last night after an emergency trip to the hardware store, but still. What if he told her to get lost? _Well, if he blows me off, then it's his loss. _She huffed out a breath and lifted her chin. _He is just a boy, after all. _She closed her locker and turned just in time to see him walking into a classroom down the hall. She felt her breath hitch and her heart do a slow tumble in her chest. Ok, so maybe he wasn't just a boy. But she was Holly J, damn it. Holly J always got what she wanted. Usually.

"Hey space cadet," Fiona walked up behind her and linked their arms together. "I've been trying to text you all morning."

"Sorry, Fi, I must have forgotten to turn my phone on." Holly J forced herself to stop staring at the door Eli had disappeared into and turned to face her friend.

"Really?" Fiona raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "That's like Vin Diesel deciding to become a drag queen. Kind of shocking and really, really scary."

"Dork," Holly J stuck out her tongue.

"Yeah, well let's get to class. Seriously though, do you think he has the legs to pull it off?" Fiona dragged her down the hall to first period.

* * *

><p>"Okay. Okay. Just breathe." Holly J smoothed her hair down and resisted the urge to bolt from the school and run home to hide under the covers. She carefully inhaled through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth. <em>Just. Calm. Down.<em> She checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror one last time. Satisfied, she made her way to the door and cautiously poked her head out. The coast was clear. The majority of the students had either left for the day or were safely locked into after school activities.

As she made her way towards the hallway where Eli's locker was, she paused to listen. Yup, she could hear him cursing from here. Allowing herself small smile, she offered a silent thank you to the person who invented superglue. Then she took a deep breath, let it out and casually rounded the corner.

"Eli." She stopped and leaned back against the locker next to his, dropping her bag beside her.

"Holly J," she saw the muscle in his jaw tighten and jump. Then he sighed. "Great."

"Problems?" she asked sweetly.

"More than you'll ever know," he muttered tuning to face her. "What do you want?"

"After what happened yesterday, can you really ask that question with a straight face?" She managed to get the question out calmly even though she felt like she was about to puke.

He looked at her for a long second, then slowly walked around until he was standing directly in front of her. She looked him directly in the eye and felt excitement start to race through her body. Suddenly he leaned forward and slammed his hands on the locker behind her. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened, but she refused to break the eye contact.

"This," he leaned closer and motioned between the two of them, "is _never_ going to happen."

"Because you don't want it to or because you won't let it?" Her voice came out low and breathy.

He didn't answer right away, instead smirking a little. "Aren't you afraid of what I'll do to you?"

"I'm not afraid of you Eli," Holly J's eyes dropped to his lips.

"Maybe you should be," his voice was seductive as he whispered to her.

"Maybe you should be afraid of me," she whispered back, then reached up and grabbed the collar of his polo shirt and pulled him to her.

He didn't resist, just reached for her and crushed her body to his. When their lips touched, she felt electricity surge through her again. It was better than she remembered, better than the dreams she had about him all night.

When he suddenly pulled away from her she felt like she had been doused with cold water, "Wha-"

"We can't… not here," Eli's breath was ragged and his eyes glazed. He grabbed her bag in one hand and her arm with the other and pulled her into the nearest classroom. He dropped the bag by the door and locked it behind them.

When he turned back to her, the desire she saw in his eyes made her knees go weak and her breath catch in her throat. She licked her lips as he walked towards her and backed her up against the front row of desks, then gasped as he slid his hands around her waist and lifted her up and deposited her on the top of the desk behind her. When he nudged her legs apart and pulled her hips flush against his, she had to work really hard at not passing out. She couldn't seem to catch her breath at all; this whole thing was just so hot.

"You are so sexy," Eli whispered into her ear before lowering his lips to her neck. Holly J's eyes fluttered closed as he worked his way down her neck and began to pull her shirt out of her skirt. When she felt his warm hands trailing up her back, she unconsciously pressed her hips even closer to his. God, she just wanted to get rid of the clothes altogether and…suddenly her eyes snapped open.

"Shit!" She groaned in frustration.

"What?" Eli raised his head to look at her. "What's that noise?"

"My alarm. I have to leave for dialysis. Shit, fuck, damn, piss." She sighed as he lifted her down from the desk, but he didn't step back, so she was still pressed against him. "Sorry" she tipped her head back to look up at him.

He offered her a lopsided grin that made her heart speed up again. "It's cool and probably for the best. We are still at school and all."

"Yeah. This is getting to be a habit with me," she muttered an pulled away from him reluctantly. She walked over to her bag and fished out the pair of bolt cutters and extra lock she had been carrying around all day and held them out to him. "Here."

"Um…" Eli scrunched his eyebrows as he took them from her and looked at her questioningly.

"I superglued your lock," she admitted matter-of- factly.

El let out a shocked chuckle and shook his head.

"Ok, I really have to go now." Holly J hustled out of the room and started down the hall. She had only taken about four steps before she turned and ran back to the room. Eli was still standing contemplating the bolt cutters when she launched herself into his arms and kissed him hard.

"We're not finished here," she warned him and then ran back out of the room and down the hall.


	3. Ch 3 Glory Box

**We're all looking at a different picture through this new frame of mind. A thousand flowers could bloom. Portishead**

Eli was walking home after yet another encounter with Holly J. An encounter that he had not only failed to rebuff, despite all of his resolve, but that he had escalated. Really, what the fuck was wrong with him?

And she glued his lock shut? Seriously, the girl was nuts. It was unbelievable and manipulative and…really awesome, he admitted to himself. It showed forward thinking, and strategic planning, and a level of sneakiness that he deeply admired. He chuckled again before he could stop himself. He had to admit that it was kind of flattering to have a girl put forth so much effort just to get his attention.

Then there was the way she looked at him when she told him she wasn't afraid of him. He knew as soon as she said it that he wouldn't be able to walk away like he intended to. Eli frowned when he realized the direction his thoughts had taken. He should be using his time to Clare back, not lusting after Holly J. He wanted Clare. Holly J was just a distraction. A really beautiful, sexy distraction. A distraction with really great… Okay, back on track. So, he was attracted to Holly J. It didn't make him a bad person. Just human. With a lot of pent up hormones.

Clare obviously didn't want him around right now. Maybe he'd give her some time to sort through her feelings and get over being angry at him for crashing his car. Eventually she'd get over it and realize that they were meant to be together. Meanwhile, Holly J obviously wanted him. While he might question her sanity, she didn't seem like she was going to take no for an answer, and he didn't feel especially inclined to tell her no. It couldn't hurt to spend a little time around her and see what happened. He and Clare were broken up, after all. And it wasn't like he was interested in a serious relationship with Holly J. He just needed to get this bizarre attraction out of his system and move on.

Suddenly, he laughed again. She'd superglued his lock closed. She hadn't even tried to hide it, just freely told him what she did. _Holly J has quite a pair on her_ Eli thought admiringly and shook his head.

* * *

><p>Holly J was literally glowing as she walked into school the next morning. She could not wait to see Eli. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy because of a boy. A long time, she decided. When she'd gotten to dialysis yesterday, she's been teased the whole session by the nurses and techs. She hadn't bothered to look in the mirror after she left the school and the staff immediately decided that her smeared make up and mussed hair were the result of a new boyfriend. She hadn't even been able to deny it, she'd just blushed like ad eight year old with a crush.<p>

She was dying to tell Fiona and Anya, but she had decided last night that she couldn't. Well not yet, anyway. It wouldn't be fair to start blabbing about her and Eli without even talking to him about it first. They hadn't really settled anything yesterday. There was also Sav to consider. She had been lying in bed last night happily reliving her time with Eli when she had been struck with a horrifying thought. Eli and Sav were friends. She couldn't just let him find out through the Degrassi grapevine. She had to tell him herself. Just because they had broken up didn't mean she didn't care deeply about him as a friend. She really didn't want him to think that she broken up with him and then ran right out to hook up with one of his friends. Even though she sort of had.

So, she needed to have a long talk with Eli today about where they were going with this. Then she was going to tell Fi and Ayn every single detail. Holly J smiled and spun the dial on her lock. As she was opening the door a piece of white paper fell and started to drift to the floor. She caught it in mid air and read the words scribbled on it. _Meet me after school in the parking lot. Eli. _Holly J tucked the note in her history book. Obviously they were on the same page.

"Hey HJ," she looked up as Fiona and Anya walked over to her.

"Hey guys." Holly J beamed at them.

"Aren't we just the bright and cheery girl this morning," Fiona arched a brow. "So, wanna go to the movies after school today?"

"Oh, guys. Sorry. I can't." Holly J's buoyant mood evaporated and she felt a little nauseated. "I have…plans," she finished lamely, flushing guiltily at that last part.

"No prob. Maybe this weekend, then." Fiona looked closely at Holly J. She could see the blush creeping up her friend's neck. There was obviously more going on than Holly J was telling. "So, are you working?"

"What?" Holly J was trying to stall so she could figure out how to evade the truth without actually full out lying.

"Tonight? Are you working? Is that why you can't go out with us?" Fiona glanced over at Anya before fixing Holly J with a stare.

"Oh. No. Nope, not working. I just have some things to take care of. Gotta go. Morning announcements. Bye." Holly J felt like she practically sprinted down the hall. God, she was so not subtle. They had to know something was going on. _Very smooth_ she thought to herself and groaned.

She didn't see the look that Fiona and Anya were exchanging back at her locker.

* * *

><p>Holly J hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and looked up and down the hallway. Once she was sure the coast was clear she made a beeline for the main entrance.<p>

"Hey Holly J. Off on your mysterious errands?" Holly J screamed loudly and embarrassingly as she almost cannoned into Anya.

"Geeze," Fiona rubbed her ear and looked at her friend as if she had lost her mind. "Are you trying to deafen us so you can go all Miracle Worker for your community service?"

"God. Sorry." Holly J pressed a hand to her racing heart. "I didn't see you guys there."

"Clearly." Anya started to snicker. "I felt like I was in Looney Tunes for a minute about to get run over by Wiley Coyote."

"Yes, well. I have been thinking about going out for the track team." Holly J took a deep breath and smiled. "I thought you guys would be at the movies by now."

"We thought we'd stick around and see if you wanted some company. We can go to the movies anytime." Fiona watched Holly J's face closely and didn't miss the slightly panicked look that appeared.

"What? No, really. It's fine. Go enjoy the movie. See you tomorrow." Holly J skirted around her friends and ran down the hall. She tried to push down the sick feeling in her stomach as she ran. She hated this feeling. The minute she got things straightened out with Eli, she was calling her friends and coming clean.

* * *

><p>Fiona and Anya walked over to the window, watching their friend run out into the parking lot and walk over to Eli who was leaning against his hearse.<p>

"What the hell?" Fiona frowned and practically pressed her face to the glass for a better look.

"Maybe he's just giving her a ride?" Anya squinted and moved closer to the window. She saw Eli push himself away from the car and grab Holly J's waist before dropping his head and kissing her. For a very long time. "Um, did you just see what I saw or am I hallucinating?"

"If so, I ate the same 'shrooms you did." Fiona pulled back as the pair in the parking lot broke apart and got into the car. "Curiouser and curiousier."

"Do you think they're, you know, having sex? That kiss was pretty hot." Anya bit her lip and twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

"I don't know, but I am so finding out. No way is she keeping a juicy secret like this from us." Fiona shook her head then smiled. "It is going to be so much fun fucking with her about this one."

* * *

><p>Holly J glanced over at Eli and smiled. He was so sexy. She couldn't believe she had never noticed it before. <em>Thank God I came to my senses<em>, Holly J thought.

"What?" Eli glanced over, cocked an eyebrow and looked back at the road.

"What what?" Holly J smiled again.

"You're staring." Eli gave her that smirk that she found so distracting.

"I was just wondering where we were going."

"Nowhere, anywhere. Driving." Eli shrugged.

"Wow, could you be vaguer?" Holly J laughed.

"Sorry for the cryptic. I'm just happy to have by boy back." Eli patted the steering wheel lovingly. "I can't believe that my parents actually fixed Morty and then let me have him back."

"Why? What happened?" She leaned her head back against the seat and looked over at him again.

"I crashed him the night of the dance." Holly J could tell by the look on his face that he didn't want to talk about it, so she let it drop.

"I'm glad you wanted to meet me today. I kind of wanted to talk to you about some stuff." She bit her lip and looked down at hands, suddenly nervous.

"That sounds serious."

"Sort of. Eli, what are we doing?" She glanced up at him from under her lashes.

"Driving." Eli's face was impassive as he stared at the road ahead.

"No, I mean us." She dropped her eyes again. That wasn't exactly the response she had been hoping for. _Great, I'm about to get rejected_, she thought and swallowed the huge lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"I don't know," Eli looked over at her and sighed. "I know that I think you are sexy as hell. You turn me on like no other girl that I've ever met. I like that you're not afraid of me and that you don't take my shit. Other than that…"

"Oh." Holly J was afraid to look at him. She couldn't remember the last time that she had wanted something this much. She didn't want to look up and realize that she wasn't going to get it.

"What do you want Holly J?" Eli's voice was hesitant.

Holly J shrugged and looked out the window. "I just know that I want you. But if we're going to be together, there's something that I have to do first." She held her breath and waited for him to shoot her down, but instead he sighed again.

"Like?"

"I just broke up with Sav. I realized that I couldn't be his girlfriend anymore, but I still want to be his friend. So I need to tell him about this myself before he finds out through the Degrassi grapevine. I don't want to hurt him." She finally looked over at him, but found his expression unreadable.

"Shit. I didn't even think about Sav. I really suck at this friend thing" Eli frowned at the road and shook his head. "I kind of know what you mean though. I wouldn't want Clare to find out about this from someone else, either."

"So, what are we going to do?" So he wasn't going to flat out reject her. Holly J breathed a little sigh of relief.

"Maybe…" Eli hesitated for a second, then continued, "Maybe we should just let it go for a while before we tell anyone."

"You don't want to tell anyone?" Holly J felt her breath hitch and her voice cracked. "Are you embarrassed to admit that you might like me?"

"No. It's just… I don't really know you Holly J. I want to have some time with you before any drama starts. You know?"

"Yeah, I guess." Holly J cleared her throat and nodded.

"Look, if you're not cool with it, then we'll tell everyone. I'll hijack morning announcements tomorrow."

She laughed under her breath and replied, "No, I guess we should figure out what this is before we tell anyone." She couldn't help but smile when Eli reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Okay." Eli nodded and let out a breath. "Do you mind if we stop by my place for a few minutes? I need to change my clothes. This uniform is giving me an allergic reaction."

* * *

><p>Holly J sat down on the couch to wait for Eli. She looked around and couldn't help but smile. It was obvious from the décor that his parents were just as eccentric as Eli himself. Her gaze swept over the coffee table and then zeroed in on a particular magazine. <em>Gothic Tales<em>. Excellent. She had read a few issues in the past, but hadn't seen this one yet. She paged through the magazine until a familiar name caught her eye. _Stalker Angel_ by Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards. She tucked her hair behind her ear and began to read. When she was done she flipped the pages back to read it a second time. She was so caught up in the story that she didn't hear Eli come into the room.

"Okay, you ready to…" Eli's voice trailed off as he saw what she was reading.

Holly J looked up at him, "Eli, you wrote this?"

"Um. Yes?" He shifted his weight uncomfortably and crossed his arms.

"Oh, my god." Holly J shook her head and looked back down at the magazine. "This is amazing. It's so beautiful. I can' believe I know someone who can write like this," she let out a half laugh and looked back at him again.

"Wait," Eli held up one hand and looked closely at her, "you like it?"

"No," Holly J shook her head, "I love it."

"You don't think it's creepy?" Eli was frowning, now.

"Why would I think it's creepy?" Holly J frowned back.

"Well, that's a first." Eli huffed out a breath and shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"That story caused several people to question my mental stability." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the carpet. "Even Clare freaked out over the ending."

"Why? It's about soul mates, right?" Eli jerked his head up suddenly and looked at her sharply. "Taking part of the person that you love and making it a part of you. Forever. It's really poetic." She stopped talking when she realized that he was starting at her. "What?"

Instead of answering he walked over to the couch, pushed her back and kissed her.

"What was that for?" Holly J let out a shaky breath.

"You are the only one that has gotten that story. Really gotten it." Eli was looking at her like he'd never seen her before.

"Oh. You seem kind of surprised." She smiled, but the searching look he was giving her was tying her stomach into knots.

"Well, you don't seem like the type of girl that would read much horror fiction."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Eli. I read a lot of things."

"Oh, yeah?" He stretched out on the couch next to her. "Like what?"

"Jonathan Carroll is one of my favorites. His writing is like a beautiful mind fuck." She struggled to keep her voice even because he was giving her that sexy smirk again.

"Hmm…what else?" He whispered seductively into her ear.

"Um, Stephen King, Kafka, Faulkner…" she gasped a he bit down lightly on her earlobe.

"Go on, I'm listening." He began trailing a line of kisses across her jaw. "What do you think about Poe?"

"I think that he's really…." Her voice gave out on her when he began to leave a trail of open mouthed kisses down her neck. Holly J groaned and gasped out, "How am I supposed to talk about books if you're going to do that?"

"I can't help it, it's so sexy when you talk all literary." He pulled away from her a bit and smiled.

They continued this way for quite awhile: alternately discussing books and driving each other crazy. At the moment Holly J was ready to explode. He was kissing her slowly, exploring every inch of her mouth with his tongue and slowly, so slowly sliding his hand up the back of her leg and under her skirt.

"Eli, please…" she moaned against his lips when she heard someone clear their throat. Holly J's eyes flew open and she saw a man standing in the doorway with his eyebrows raised.

Eli broke away from her and turned his head toward the doorway, then let out an impatient sigh. He sat up, pulling her up with him.

"Hey dad." He ran his hands through his hair and let out a long breath before continuing. "This is Holly J. Holly J, this is my dad Bullfrog."

Holly J was trying, unsuccessfully, to speak through her mortification when the man in the doorway let out a chuckle.

"Holly J. How nice to meet you. Well, I'll just be heading upstairs now. Have fun kids," he grinned mischievously and left the room.

"Buzz kill," Eli muttered at his retreating back. "Come on. Let's get out of here." Eli stood and held out his hand to her. Holly J just nodded and took his hand. She could still feel herself blushing as they walked out the front door and got into the car.


	4. Ch 4 Tiger Lily

Okay, I'm not usually big on author's notes, I'd really rather just get to it, but I have to admit that I'm a bit unsure of what to do with this story. I have it planned out to the end but it doesn't seem like people are really interested in it. So either it really sucks donkey butt and you're all too nice to tell me or people really hate Holly J and Eli. Either way let me know so that I can decide what to do. Please?

**We drive tonight and you are by my side. We're talking about our lives, like we've know each other forever. – Matchbook Romance**

"So your dad doesn't think I'm a total slut?" Holly J threw her bag into the backseat of her car and looked over the door at Eli.

"No, he doesn't think you're a slut. Trust me, Bullfrog was thrilled to find me in a compromising situation with a girl. You could have come over yesterday. He wouldn't have given you a hard time. Well, not much anyway." Eli grinned at her.

"Yeah, well. I had dialysis and a ton of homework. Not to mention the extreme humiliation factor." Holly J shut the door and leaned back against the car.

"So, what's up with the dialysis?" Eli leaned back as well and looked over at her.

"It's a long story, involving a lot of stupidity and stubbornness."

"A long story, huh? Well, I don't have any plans today." He cocked his head to the side and waited.

"You don't?" Holly J's eyes lit up and she smiled excitedly.

"Wow. That made me sound like the king of all losers, didn't it?" Eli laughed and looked down.

Holly J just smiled again and fished her cell phone out of her purse. She flipped it open and dialed. "Hey mom, it's me. Just wanted to let you know I'll be home late tonight. Love you." Holly J ended the call and dropped the phone back in her purse.

"You're up to something," Eli looked up at her and narrowed his eyes.

"Yes I am," Holly J smiled widely at him.

"I should be scared, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should," She shot him another smile as she pulled her shirt over her head to reveal the black tank top underneath. Then she reopened the back door of the car and began rummaging until she unearthed a pair of daisy dukes and some flip flops. She pulled the shorts on under her skirt, then pulled her skirt off and traded her knee socks and shoes for the flip flops. With her transformation complete she looked up to see Eli staring at her with glazed eyes.

"What?" She frowned at him.

"That was unbelievably hot," he drawled and smirked at her.

She smirked back and moved closer to him. Eli reached out his hands to grab her hips and pull her against him. Holly J stood on her toes and hooked an index finger in the collar of his shirt. She peeped down the front and then whispered, "You might want to loose the shirt."

"Why?"

"Because I'm kidnapping you." She reached up and kissed him lightly before moving out of his reach.

"Ah." Eli folded his arms and shot her a suspicious look.

"What's wrong? Don't you trust me?" Holly J batted her eyelashes at him.

Eli looked at her for a second before replying, "Strangely enough, I do." Then he yanked his shirt over his head leaving behind just his black wife beater.

Holly J stepped back to admire the view of his toned chest and arms, a lovely sight that was usually hidden behind a layer of baggy clothes.

"What?" He mimicked her voice.

"That was just unbelievably hot," she shot back, letting a smirk play over her lips. "Well, let's go."

Holly J got into the car and waited for Eli to get in the passenger side, then pulled out of the school parking lot, smiling at the thought of leaving school behind for the weekend. After Eli had left a message for his parents Holly J switched on the CD player.

Eli raised his eyebrow and turned to look at her. "The Ramones? Really?"

"What? You don't like the Ramones? Here you can change the CD if you want." She reached into the side compartment of the door, coming up with her CD case and then handed it to him.

He took the case and began flipping through it. "The Pixies, Rancid, the Cure, the Sex Pistols…" Eli trailed off and looked over at her. "Holly J, you have just gotten so much sexier."

She laughed and shook her head. "So, I don't look like the type of girl who would listen to punk? Remember how I said I read a lot of different thing? Well, I listen to a lot of different music, too. I also love ska, sixties rock, Broadway musicals and 80's pop. You don't know everything about me Eli."

"Clearly. So, are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope. Not until we're far enough away from Toronto that you can't abandon ship."

"We're leaving Toronto?" Eli hoped he could fish out some more details because he hated surprises.

"What did you expect? It wouldn't be a good kidnapping otherwise, now would it?" Holly J just smiled smugly and kept driving. She obviously wasn't giving up any information.

* * *

><p>Eli was enjoying himself. He had no idea where they were going or what would be in store for him once they got there, but he was finding that he actually kind of liked it. And arguing with Holly J for the last twenty minutes about music and books was part of the reason. He was surprised to admit that the rest of the reason was just the adventure of going to an unknown destination with her.<p>

He chuckled as he listened to her rhapsodize about Lynyrd Skynyrd and list off her top 10 (obviously improvised) reasons why they were awesome. A thought occurred to him as he listened to her impassioned defense. A very disturbing thought. Clare. He'd barely thought about her all week. No, he'd been so caught up in Holly J that he hadn't been checking for signs of progress or reaction to the fact that he was finally giving her the space that she had requested.

"Okay, you haven't made fun of reason six or seven of why Skynyrd totally rules. Have I convinced you with my concise arguments or are you asleep?" She tipped her sunglasses down and looked at him over the rims.

"No, to both. I was just …" _Don't say thinking about Clare! _"Thinking about Clare." _Shit._

"Oh." Holly J bit her lip.

"I mean, I wasn't exactly thinking about her. I was thinking about how I haven't really been thinking about her this week." Eli scrunched his eyes. "Did that make any sense?"

"Actually, yes." She cleared her throat. "Do you want to get back together with her?"

Eli opened his mouth to say yes. Because it was true, wasn't it? He wasn't going to lie. "I don't know. Things are different now." _Huh, where did that come from?_

"I get that." Holly J nodded.

"You do?"

"I feel the same way about Declan. We have this plan, you know? Meet at Yale in August and try again. I just don't know anymore, though. I feel like he wants me to be someone I'm not. A girl that's going to fit into his life. I feel like I have to watch every word; that I can't just be completely me. I need to be this idealized version of me. It wasn't always like that," she finished softly.

Eli found himself nodding now. "That makes sense. Clare wanted me to be more like her. Forgiving, understanding. I'm not like that. At first I thought that liked me because I was different. The yin to her yang. Now I feel like she just thought she could redeem me. She must have started to figure out that she couldn't and that's why she started to pull away from me. And of course, me being me, that just made me hold on tighter. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was manipulating her." Eli looked out the window. Why was he telling Holly J this stuff? He hadn't even told Adam any of this. "So Miss Sinclair, you still haven't told me where you're taking me."

"Hmmmmm….. I guess we're far enough that you won't make a break for it," Holly J teased. "We're going to Kitchener."

"Ah, what a cultural metropolis," Eli knew that Holly J was trying to lighten his mood and decided to play along.

"Shut up," Holly J laughed. "They're having a Latin Festival."

"Are you serious?" Eli gave her his most sarcastic look, the one that usually made people cringe.

"Yes, I am. I usually go with my mom, but she's working all this weekend. And you can stop giving me that look because we're going whether you like it or not." She shot him a look of her own, the one he recognized as her 'stone cold bitch look'.

"Jeez, tough crowd. So, what is there to actually do there?"

"There is _so_ much to do. There's an art show and the museum and salsa dancing and the concert in the park. It is so much fun." She was practically bouncing in her seat with a grin stretched from ear to ear. It was kind of cute.

Eli figured that her excitement was contagious because even though it was something he would usually find super lame, it did sound kind of, dare he say, fun.

"Okay, so back to reason number six," Eli settled back with a smirk. "I never did get a chance to properly ridicule it."

* * *

><p>It wa<em>s<em> fun. Holly J _made_ it fun. They had spent hours in the museum checking out every exhibit, and Holly J had proved to be incredibly knowledgeable about the history behind the items on display. Eli didn't usually like history much, but she had a way of making it really come alive. The art show had been just as cool. She had pulled him from piece to piece either discussing what made that particular sculpture or painting interesting or making hilarious and scathing comments abut the ones she didn't like.

When he complained that he was starving, Holly J led him to a street vendor who knew her from years past and held a lively discussion about what they were going to feed him. In the end, he had no idea what it was that he was eating because he couldn't even pronounce it, but it was really good. Really good and really hot. He wasn't sure his taste buds would ever quite be the same. She even talked him into trying to dance with her, emphasis on the trying. He'd lost track of how many times she'd made him laugh. It had been a really long time since he'd had so much fun.

As dusk started to fall Holly J started back to the car. "Come on. We need to get blanket out of my car so we can get a good spot for the concert."

"What kind of concert?"

"Mandolin." Eli groaned. "Stop it. It's really beautiful. Come on."

Once they had retrieved the blanket and found a suitable spot on the grass, Eli could feel Holly J looking at him.

"Tell me something about you."

"There's nothing to tell," Eli reached out and tucked a strand of Holly J's hair behind her ear.

"I found that hard to believe," Holly J grabbed his other hand and tangled her fingers with his.

"It's true. I'm very boring."

"That is a load of bull," she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Fine. What do you want to know? You can ask me whatever you want. But… I'm not answering any questions unless you answer too." Eli leaned back on his elbows and looked over at her.

"Fair enough. What do you want to do with your life?"

"Write. That's all I've ever wanted to do," Eli shrugged. "You?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on, you're already not playing fair." He flopped down on his back and looked up at her.

"No. I'm serious. I really don't know. I know what everyone else thinks I should do. Business or something in entertainment. Be rich and important. Make back the family money. I hate the thought of that life. I want adventure, excitement and romance." She sighed and lay back as well. "That sounds lame."

"No it doesn't." He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "What else do you want to know?"

"Um. Favorite band?" Holly J snuggled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Dead Hand."

"Mine's The Smiths. Favorite author?"

"Neil Gaimen."

"I really love his work. Mine changes a lot. Right now it's Salman Rushdie. Favorite movie?"

"A Clockwork Orange." He turned his head so he could look down at her. She had her eyes closed and looked so beautiful.

"Better Off Dead."

"Never seen it." Her eyes popped open and he laughed at the horrified expression on her face.

"What? Oh my God. I must immediately fix this terrible situation."

"It's a total girl movie isn't it?" Eli rolled his eyes.

"No." Holly J huffed a breath out. "It's got everything. Romance, intrigue, action, adventure, language lessons. So, yeah, it's a total girl movie," she ended with a laugh.

"Fine. I'll think about it. The things I'll do for a beautiful woman." Eli heaved a dramatic sigh and smirked at her. "Most embarrassing moment."

"Hey, I thought I was asking the questions" Holly J picked her head up and looked at him.

"Why should you get to have all fun?" He dropped a kiss on her forehead and waited. "So?"

"Do I have to pick just one? There are so many." Holly J laid her head back on his shoulder.

"Well, I'm listening."

"Okay," she thought for a minute. "Getting kicked off the Power Squad for being a bitch."

"Making a fake ID for Fitz with the identity of a convicted arsonist."

Holly J laughed. "Getting dumped for being shallow."

"Having my two best friends find out I'm a compulsive hoarder."

"Getting filmed breaking a fast for charity."

"Blowing off my best friend for a girl." Eli was starting to enjoy himself. It was a relief to tell someone all of his faults and not feel like he was being judged.

"Having the whole school chant 'Holly J sucks!'."

"Oh, good one. Poising Fitz."

"Wow. You really hate him, don't you? He is pretty douchey. Um, trying to have sex with a guy and getting shot down."

"Pretty much the entirety of my fourth grade year. I got beat up every day."

"Getting fired because I dumped a drink on someone." Holly paused and bit her lip. "On purpose."

"Having Clare pimp me to her parents as a bad influence so she could piss them off."

"Getting caught stealing money from my best friend to pay for my SAT prep class."

"Getting in trouble for bringing a gun to school."

"Getting caught stripping on Vegas night."

"Oh, man. That was you?" Eli laughed. "Getting accused of being psychotic."

"Cheating on Sav," Holly J sighed.

"Almost peeing my pants after Fitz threatened to stab me," Eli chuckled.

"_Actually _peeing during the presentation I was giving for my work study job."

"Crashing my car to try to get Clare back," Eli threw it out to see if she had anything to top that one.

"Wow," she started laughing. "We're both really fucked up."

"You know it." He couldn't help but laugh with her. "First time that you were in love."

"I guess… I guess, Toby." Holly J sighed. "I never met anyone like him before. He made it so easy for me to be myself. He also made it so easy to fall for him."

"What happened?" He turned a little so he could watch her face.

"Remember when I said I got dumped for being shallow?" She sighed again.

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I deserved it though. I was too afraid to go after what I wanted. Too afraid to not care what other people thought. I guess I didn't deserve to keep him. What about you?"

Maybe he shouldn't have asked the question. Did he really want to get into this? He could lie, but realized that he didn't want to. He wanted the worst out there. Holly J deserved to know the kind of person she was spending so much time with. "My first girlfriend. Julia."

"And?

"We got into a fight. She took off on her bike and got hit by a car. She died." He closed his eyes and waited for her reaction.

"Oh, god. Eli, I'm so sorry." He felt her touch his cheek for a second.

He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. So that was it. No condemnation, no questions. Just sympathy. He nodded. "You're right," he finally said, before clearing his throat and opening his eyes. "This is really beautiful. I'm glad you kidnapped me."

"Can I ask you something?" Holly J's expression was serious.

"You've been asking me things for the last half hour." He raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously though." She paused. "Do you like me?"

"What?"

"Look, I know we have this crazy, hot attraction to each other. But do you like me? You know, as a person?" Her eyes met his and held.

He felt his heart skip a beat and he let out a breath. "Yeah. I think I do. Do you like me?"

"I really, really do."


End file.
